


I am happy to pass the time with you.

by SkeletonCrow



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Reading Between The Lines, Scene Re-Write, because honestly i took a single liberty with the dialogue, but it's more like, everything else is canon, help i'm in xanlow hell and i can't get out, i have no idea how pairing tags work when fake names are a thing, pure self indulgence, so that just goes to show how impossibly gay these losers are, this is dumb and gay and feelsy and i needed it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 04:56:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9863834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkeletonCrow/pseuds/SkeletonCrow
Summary: "House arrest" was not supposed to involve this many feelings, but here we are.(it's Xander and Laslow's support conversations but gayer because i'm a big sappy mess and needed fluff catharsis.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Dialogue used is from B and A supports. pairing gets more apparent as it goes, but probably just qualifies as "heavily implied". I might make a series of this if I feel like it. I need more canon-universe xanlow fluff.
> 
> I use "Inigo" when not in dialogue, because I doubt even if he was called "Laslow" for years by everyone that he'd ever stop thinking of himself as Inigo. My proof is his supports with "Odin", in which he relaxes and is happy to hear someone use his real name.

This was absolutely, utterly unfair! All Inigo had done was try to charm a few beautiful women, which had gone about how it usually went, and gotten into a bit of a scuffle in a bar. He hardly saw how this merited house arrest. It was a little embarrassing that his boss had gotten word of it at all, but even more embarrassing that he saw fit to do something about it, let alone how mortifying it was to be locked in the same boss’s room like a child being grounded. Inigo admitted it was a nice enough place to be confined to, covered in furs and rugs and other evidence of his lord’s status, but he liked doing things. Much as his behavior would contrast, Inigo liked being useful, and sitting around all day in his liege’s room while Xander did paperwork was not useful. Simply put, it was boring! Though, the one upside was Inigo now had a passable reason to stare at his gorgeous prince all day. Aside from staring, the only thing Inigo seemed able to do for entertainment was distracting his lord from his paperwork with conversation, so after a few days, he was starting to run out of material.

“ughhh. So bored.” Inigo whined to the ceiling, rocking back and forth while seated, like an antsy child, “Is this really all you’re going to allow me to do all day? Sit here cross-legged on your floor while you go about your business?” Xander, seated at his dark wooden desk, didn’t even look up from his work to say, “It is. And you know whose fault that is.” He paused to scribble something and shuffle his papers before continuing, “As long as you remain in my sight, I know you are not bothering the townspeople.” Inigo groaned, “But I’ll get rusty! At least let me go out and get some training done…” Xander rolled his eyes, “Not a chance, I know you too well. The second you’re out of sight, you’ll make a beeline for the nearest town.” He grimaced to himself “likely to harass yet another poor young woman.” Inigo sighed “Fine, fine.” This was going to be a long, long period of house arrest.

After a short period of silence, during which Inigo stared at the ceiling, picked some mud from his boots, smoothed out his clothes, and fixed his hair, he ran out of things to fuss over, so he let his mind wander. He tended to avoid doing that because he always drifted back to the same place. Home. While Inigo didn’t regret his decision to come here in the least, he did miss his family and friends back in Ylisse. He missed not being at war, just goofing off with his friends and making the most of his second chance to spend time with his parents. With his mind lost in thoughts of home, Inigo remembered a curiosity of his, and it seemed a waste not to ask with easy prey right here. He didn’t really know how to start this particular conversation, though, so he just stared at his prince and hummed to himself.

Xander sighed exasperatedly, “Staring at me like that will not give me cause to release you any sooner.” Not exactly the opening Inigo was looking for, but he dove in anyway, “So! You don’t have a birthmark on your eye or anywhere, do you?” That did cause Xander pause, and even made him look up quizzically at Inigo, “What? A birthmark?” Inigo nodded vigorously, “Yes. Like a crest or something. Maybe one symbolizing Nohrian royal lineage. Just curious.” Xander’s brow furrowed even more and he put his quill down, “What are you talking about? How would I even see with a mark on my eye?” Inigo laughed a little, “A fair point. I never figured that out myself.” He rubbed his right eye subconsciously, “I ask because the royal family of my homeland had them. I wanted to know if it was the same here.” Xander’s face seemed to clear, “Oh? Is something on your mind? It’s rare I hear you speak of your homeland.” “Is it? Well, if you’d like to know anything about it, I’d be happy to tell you.” Inigo smiled cheekily, “Although my boss is keeping me busy these days so I’m a smidge pressed for time.” Xander, visibly put out, deadpanned, “Was that sarcasm? With me? I admire your bravery.” “N-no, milord! I wouldn’t dare!”, Inigo winced a little.

“Remember this well, Laslow. If you ever disobey me and attempt to flee, you will not make it far.”, Xander replied sternly, “I will seek you out, I will find you, and I will punish you.”, and scowled for added effect, “By any means necessary.” Inigo wondered if that was possible, given the circumstances, and raised his eyebrows, face marginally more serious, “Oh? And just how do you think you would find me?” “I would begin by looking into your past, of course. No one gets through life without leaving footprints, no matter how remote his homeland is.” Inigo smirked a bit at this, as if enjoying a private joke, which he absolutely was, “Well, you may have a hard time of it then. There are very few footprints of mine in this world and none of them are old. Besides,” he added as an afterthought, “I don’t know where you’d start with a false name and fake appearance.” Xander was visibly shaken by this, and when Inigo remained silent, he murmured, “What? Laslow…Are you…”

Xander trailed off, looking for traces of humor on his retainer’s face, but Laslow didn’t seem to even realize he’d said anything out of the ordinary. Inigo, for his part, took a minute to realize he’d said that out loud, looked over and saw how concerned and shocked his lord was, put a hand to the back of his head, and grinned “Just kidding!” Xander visibly deflated, and Inigo thanked his lucky stars for his naturally jovial nature, “I got you didn’t I?” After a moment, Xander was glaring again, “So, you think it’s fun to play pranks, do you? Very well. It appears as though you require stricter disciplinary action.” Inigo grimaced, “What?”, but Xander only nodded to himself, “I had planned to end your confinement today, but I think a change is in order.”, he said in his Big Scary Prince voice, “You are to report to my chambers at dawn tomorrow morning.” Inigo screamed internally. If there was one thing he hated more than sitting on his hands, it was getting up before dawn, “What? Please, no!” he begged. Xander was having none of it. “The more you protest, the longer your confinement will be. Understood?” Inigo grumbled, “yes milord…” and went back to sitting silently. That would teach him to try and spark some more interesting conversation during his punishment.

 

As it turned out, not only was poor Inigo no longer allowed to sleep past dawn, Xander had intensified his duties as a retainer. After a week of less than five hours of sleep per night, he was at the breaking point.

“Agh, my legs are aching like crazy. I hope this ends soon…” he muttered to himself one day. Inigo was back in his liege’s room, this time slumped in one of the expensive oak chairs, watching Xander do more paperwork. The man in question looked up with a thoughtful expression. “Laslow,” he asked, “Have I ever told you about my past retainers?” This piqued Inigo’s interest, “No, milord, I don’t believe you have.” Xander pushed his paperwork away and sat back in his chair. “Before you and Peri, I had another two retainers. They were both remarkable warriors, perhaps even stronger than you two. Both were serious and devoted. Their every action weighed and considered. .” He seemed lost in thought, which was unusual for Xander, and intrigued Inigo further, “They don’t seem very similar to me. Or Peri for that matter.” At that, the prince smiled, “They weren’t. If anything, they were your opposites. I always thought I would have them at my side even after ascending the throne.” Inigo was almost afraid to ask, but then again, he had never been the type to think things through ahead of time. “Then why did you replace them?” Xander’s almost wistful expression soured, “I did not. They fell in battle at the hands of powerful Hoshidan soldiers. We were outnumbered. They both gave their lives to protect me.” He looked down at his desk, visibly agitated. Inigo knew he’d stepped into dangerously personal territory and wished he could back-track to something less potentially dangerous, but the damage had been done. All he could do was utter a soft “oh” and let Xander continue.

And continue he did, most bitterly, “It’s easy to say they died fulfilling their duty, but I believe that had I been stronger, they would still be alive.” He clenched his jaw tightly. “They died because I was weak.” Inigo was suddenly standing close to his lord’s desk, not having noticed crossing the space between them. “Lord Xander.” He murmured, almost to himself. Xander looked up at him, face still strained, almost desperate. “Laslow.”, he said, and the way he said it broke something in Inigo, “If you wish to fritter away your life on nonsense, I cannot stop you, but please.” He took a sharp breath, as if trying to hide a wound, “Stay vigilant. Don’t ever make me experience something like that again.” Inigo stood a little straighter, feeling the weight of his prince’s emotions settle on him. “Understood. I will do my absolute best. For you _and_ for your past retainers.” Xander sat back in his chair and smiled tiredly, “I am relieved to hear you say that. Thank you.” Inigo smiled back. “Well, I have to admit it didn’t take much convincing, I’m quite attached to my flesh.” He paused, not wanting to bring the mood back down, “However, there is a related matter I must speak to you about.”

Xander hummed in assent, and Inigo continued cautiously, “If, after the war, I were to go somewhere. Somewhere far away.” His mind flashed to his home and the smiling faces of his family, “If you never saw me again.”, he paused again, hardly daring to hear his prince’s response, “Would you be angry?” It was so soft, almost a whisper, “Would you be able to forgive me for abandoning you?”. Xander stood abruptly and crossed over to Inigo’s side of the desk. He looked down into Inigo’s eyes and said very firmly, “Yes I would.” Inigo whispered an impossibly soft “oh?” and Xander placed his hands on Inigo’s shoulders. “It is not your company I require, only that you continue to draw breath”, he said, deadly serious, “I just want you to ensure you live. Whatever your true name or appearance.” Inigo was decidedly not used to this kind of conversation, especially not with someone like Xander, especially not in light of his presumed one-sided feelings. He looked away from his prince’s eyes, stuttering, “M-milord, I-“, and was cut off when Xander moved his arms to encircle Inigo’s shoulders. He could hear his liege’s heartbeat next to his own, the strength of his prince’s arms holding Inigo flush against him. Really, Xander was so tall and broad, Inigo felt as if he was drowning in a vast sea. It was, at least, a warm sea, a good way to go, trapped in the arms of the man he’d grown more than fond of over his tenure as a royal retainer, if truth be told.

There was a murmur in his ear, “Wherever life takes you, remember this. You are not simply my retainer. You are…precious to me. I wish you only the best in what you choose to do with your life.”, Xander paused and continued even more softly, “And, come what may…I will never forget you.” Inigo could feel his heart beating faster and his face flushing. Surely it was impossible for his prince to feel the same way about him, and even if it wasn’t and he did, Inigo was still just a retainer, and a man at that. Nevertheless, Inigo felt his hands rest on Xander’s back, and he allowed himself, in a moment of weakness, to nuzzle his face into his prince’s shoulder. After a moment, Xander came back to himself and pushed Inigo away. There was a light blush on his cheeks, and he cleared his throat, “Well, then. That will about do it.”, he said awkwardly, “You may take your leave now.” It was a very final statement, but Xander continued to stand exactly where he was, barely an arm’s length from Inigo, and looking more than a touch flustered. It was…cute. When Inigo made no move to leave, the prince looked back in his retainer’s direction, but not at his face, “Is something wrong?” Inigo smiled, even though he could still feel heat in his cheeks. He could also feel the phantom warmth of that sweet embrace lingering on his shoulders. “No, I just…” Xander looked back at his face when he spoke, making him blush harder, “didn’t want the conversation to end just yet. We”, and it would later become apparent he was not including his prince, “have only a limited amount of time in this world after all.” Xander took a minute to process this, before smiling back, so achingly tender Inigo could scarcely believe it was directed at him, “You may remain if you wish”, and miracle of miracles, he took Inigo’s hand, “I am happy to pass the time with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is probably also not very good, because i don't have an editor, so I apologize if you're disappointed, I just. i needed this so i wrote it and it ended up being like 2k words so i figured i'd post it -w- give me xanlow or give me death.


End file.
